Device for holding and manipulating screws, nuts, and like small articles



H E LEWIS 1,767,296

June 24, 1930.

' DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MANIPULATING scmaws,

NUTS, AND LIKE SMALL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 18. 1928 iwsmon IHIIHHI- ILEJEWIB AT'IIYS.

50 Figure 2 is a similar view showingthe shown in Figure 5. The lira s of the handle Patented June 24,1930 v I UNITED STATES PATEN'P OFFICE HENRY EDWARD LEWIS, OF REDDITCH, ENGLAND DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MANIPULAEIIING SCREWS, nurs, AND LIKE SMALL 1 ARTICLES Application filed September 18, 1928, Serial No. 306,771, and in Great Britain January 26, 1928 This invention relates to a new or imjaws gripping a screw and detached from proved device for holding and manipulatthe handle. ing screws, nuts, and like small articles, Figure 3 shows a side elevation and plan and refers particularly to a device intended of the second pair of jaws gripping a nut; I for holding a screw or nut to give it a v Figure 4 shows a modified construction in 55 lead on its thread when it has to be fitted which the jaws are pivotally attached to in such a position that it cannot readily be' the handle.

held in the fingers. Figure 5 shows the jaws in the act,of being When screws or nuts have to be fitted reversed. in such positions a considerable amount of Figure 6 shows a slight modification. 60 time and trouble is frequently wasted in at- The devices illustrated are made wholly tempting to start the thread, as the screw from steel strip so that they can be proor nut cannot be heldby the tool used for duced very cheaply, and the strip may be driving it and there is considerable danger bluedor nickel-plated to prevent rusting. of dropping and losing it. V In Figures 1 and 2 the handle part a is 65 The object of my invention is to provide formed from a length of spring steel strip a simple and inexpensive tool whereby either bent round to form a loop handle and with a screw or nut can be held to lace it in the ends-b brought up parallel to each other. positionand rotated to start t e thread, The strip is bent in such a manner that the after which the screw or nut can be driven free ends are normally separated and a slid- 7 home by the ordinary tool. able clip -0 is fitted over them so, that by A device according to my invention consliding the clip along the ends are forced sists of resilient jaw members of spring together to grip the jaw members which steel strip or like material adapted to grip are placed between them. the screw or nut and a handle to which the The jaw member d for gripping a screw 75 jaw members are interchangeably fitted. I is formed from a length of thin spring steel -For gripping a screw, flattened free ends strip doubled over upon itself at the midof the aw members, which normally spring. dle of its length. The free ends normally apart, are forced together and inserted into spring apart and are tapered ofli' as shown 1 the slot in the head of a screw when their at 6 so that they may enter the slot in so resilience will tend to force them apart a nd the head of a screw 7 when pressed together. so cause them to grip and retain the screw.- The second jaw member 9 is formed in For gripping a nut the ends of the jaw the same way but the ends are normally members are pressed to angular form to forced together and their extremities are receive the corners of a nut which is placed pressed to angular form as shown at km 35 between them after resiliently forcing the t i th corners f a t, j placed b t jaws apart. them. Q

The tWO pairs of ]8.W members may be To prevent of the. jaws the formed separately in WhlCh case they are handle, projections k may be pressed in 4 detachably and interchangeably received 1n one or both limbs b of the handle to cothe handle, or they may be formed together operate with holes I in the jaw members. in which case they are reversibly pivoted In the modification shown in Figure 4 on the handle. the screw and nut gripping parts are formed 'Some practical forms of my improved de-' by co-operating parts at opposite ends of I 45 vice are illustrated in the accompanying two lengths of spring strip m, m, which lie drawings in which between .the limbs of the handle and are Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form pivoted therein upon a rivet n. a .of the device with the jaws for gripping a Either pair of aws is brought mto operascrew shown in position in the handle. tion by rotatlng the strips u on the rivet as are so bent that they ress upon the strips m adjacent to the ban e and projections p in the limb co-operate with holes 9 in the strips to lock the'strips resiliently in either operative position. As an additional safe ard a slidin clip 0' may be provided on-t e handle as s own' in Figure 6, the clip being slotted for the passage of the strips, but this is not essen- 10 tial.

I claim 1. A device for holding and manipulating screws, nuts, and like small articles comprisinga handle, a pair of resilient parallel arms on said handle, a pair of parallel resilient strips pivoted between said arms, tapered co-operating portions at one end of said strips which are normally separated and can be pressed together to enter a slot in a screw head, and angular parts at the other end of, said strips which \are normally pressed together and can be separated to grip the corners of a nut placed between them.

5 2. A device'for holding and manipulating screws, nuts, and like small articles comprising a lengthof steel strip bent round to form a loop handle and two projecting parallel arms, two parallel lengths of steel strip pivoted between said arms,'co-operating proections and recesses on said arms and strlps to locate them in definite respective positions, and co-operating jaw parts at each end of said strip for enga gthe articles. c HENR EDWARD LEWIS. 

